Lamp



Jan. so, 1934.

R. W. JOHNS'N LAMP Filed Aug. e. 1932 Patented Jan. 30, -1934 UNITED STATES 1,945,309 PATENT OFFICE LAMP Roy w. Johnson, cincinnati, ohio,v assignor to The Corcoran-Brown Lamp Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application August s, 1932. serial No. 627,776

4 claims. orario-'41s) conventional type of lamp consists of a lens and a lens ring or door rim by means o1 which the lens is mounted upon the body for closing it and the reflector against dust and moisture which would injure the reflector surface and short circuit the usually employed electric bulb, its connections and wiring.

As in all things and particularly in the automotive eld, at this time, continual demands are being made for less expensive constructions and constructions of greater efliciency, ease of manipulation and strength, accompanied with greater beauty, grace and simplicity of lines than heretofore. These and other attainments which have been my objects, are accomplished in the improved lamp construction I am about to describe and which has been illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a lamp embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a, sectional elevation taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a front view of the lamp shown in Figs. 1 and 2, but showing the position assumed by the lamp closure when the interior of the lamp is to be rendered accessible-for purposes of bulb replacement and lamp repair or inspection.

Fig. 4 is an elevational sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3, showing the manner in which the closure glass or lens is removed from the lamp. l

Fig. 5 is a front elevation, similar to Figs. 1 and 3, but showing the condition in which the lamp body is placed so vthat the closure glass or lens maybe removed.

A lamp construction such as I havel disclosed. embodies a body portion 11 having the forward edge inturned to form a roll -rim l2, the inner edge of which is trimmed to the desired shape. so as a perfect circle, to form a nished edge for the purpose of enframing the closure glass or lens 13 of the lamp, as well as .for the purpose of locating this glass cr lens against displacement. This lens constitutes the only closure element of the lamp. in that it is not provided with any separate mounting ring or band which, in 55 turn, may be mounted on the body or within the body opening, as in conventional lamp construction. For the purpose of mounting the lens, and locating it against displacement from centralized position relatively to the body opening and axis 60 of the lamp, I have provided an annular shoulder 14 which is at least of such a depth and diameter as to allow the lens to t within the forward opening of the turned over portionsv l2, so that whenthe lens is held in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, displacement from such a position is prevented bythis shoulder because of its cooperation with the finished forward edge of the lamp body. Extending from the shoulder 14 of the lens, is an outwardly'extending annular backing flange 15 which has its forward surface so shaped as to engage .or lit the rear surface of rim 12, as shown in Fig. 2, whereby lens 13 is prevented from falling from the body when the lens is heid in closed position as shown in Fig. 2.

The means by which lens 13 is held in mounted position within the rim 12 in order to close the interior of the body, is, generally speaking, the lamp reflector 16. By mounting the reflector 16 so that it is continually pressed outwardly 'toward the closure glass 13, not only is the interior of the reflector caused to be closed by the glass 13, but it also performs the function of holding the glass in closed relation to the body. For the purpose of sealing the interior of the reflector 16 against the entrance of dust and moisture thereto, an annular gasket or packing ring 17 has been provided by forming an annular pocket or groove 18 at the rim of the reflector, as is common in conventional practice. Engaging the rear of this pocket or grooved rim 18 of the reflector, is a ring 19 which may carry at suitably spaced intervals, as suggested in dotted lines in Fig. 1, a. series of springs 20 which, although shown as of the helical type, may just as readily be .of any other formation. As a seat for these springs I have provided an annular metal ring having a .skirt 21 `which is provided with a seat.22 upon which the rear end of the springs 20 seat themselves so that they may be held in compressed condition at the time the reector is held to the rear when closure glass 13 is in mounted position as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Thus', continual pressure is exerted on thesprings20 by means of which the lamp parts vare held inv assembled condition.

For the purpose of dismantling the lamp, or of reaching the interior of the reflector in order that the lamp bulb may be removed and replaced. it is but necessary to press upon the closure glass 13 at any point adjacent to the shoulder 14, preferably at the bottom of the lens, assuggcstcd in Figs. 3 and 4, until the lower portion of shoulder 14 is pressed back of-the edge of the turned over rim 12 of the body', whereupon the lens 13 is caused to slip or be moved slightly downwardly in order to bring lens rim l5 free of the finished edge at the top of the turned over portion 12 of the body, 'as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. This pressure, as shown in Fig. 4, causes the springs 20 'los .located toward the lower portion of the body, to

be compressed, While the springs located toward the upper portion of the body, are permitted to exert their tendency to expand freely. However, inasmuch as lens "13 is not yet clear of the nished forward edge of the body, it is necessary to manipulate thebody in a manner such that this release may be accomplished.

In order to accomplish this complete lens release, while the lens is being held in the position just described and illustrated in Fig. 3, pressure is brought to bear upon the body adjacent to its open end, at points diametrically opposite each other and in alignment with the upper and lower manipulated regions of the lens, thereby distorting the body slightly by causing it to become elliptical with its transverse diameter at its open end, of greater length than the vertical diameter,

which by reason of this pressure, has become somewhat shortened. This pressure is made sufficient so that the enlarged transverse diaml eter will permit the free passage ofthe lens at its greatest diameter, from the lamp body, whereby it may be completely removed, as suggested in Fig. 4. In this manner the reflector, the greatest diameter of `which is less than the diameter of the finished edge of the body, may then be freely removed. if desired, as well as all other parts of the lamp'located within the body interior.

As a means of securing proper location of the lens relatively to the lamp body, particularly if the lens is equipped with a definite prismatic formation, for the purpose of projecting a light pattern of certain prescribed outline, any simple expedient, such as a lens lug 23 may be employed in cooperation with a correspondingly shaped 'notch 24 in the finished edge of the body 'and located preferably at the bottom thereof, as shown in. Fig. 1 to 5 inclusive.

It is obvious that various departures may be made from the precise embodiment of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawing and described in this specification, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention set forth therein. For example, the lens, if preferred, may be provided with a metal bound edge or bezel, which edge may be made as a unit with the lens or detachable therefrom by means of any' suitable provision to accomplish such detachments. Also, it is obvious that such a design as I have disclosed, may be varied infinitely without departure from the disclosure I have made. Although I havedescribed the lens and the iinished vedge of the body as having an annular shape, such a shape is not material to the perfomance of the functions prescribed for the invention inasmuch as any shape, in which one dimension from edge to edge of the open end of the lamp body, maybe varied in accordance with thedegree of pressure brought to bear upon the body 'from opposite sides for the purpose of `distorting it in order to release the lens, will fullfil the purposes of the invention and constitute an embodiment thereof.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

1. A lamp comprising a resilient metal casing having a circular open end, a closure within the casing and of a greater diameter than the open end,` a shoulder on the closure' spaced from the edge thereof and fitting the circular open end to hold the casing against distortion, and spring.

means within the casing adjacent the open end to retain the closure with its shoulder fltting'the circular open end and operable to permit movement of the closureinwardly from the open end to withdraw the closure shoulder from the open end, whereby the casing may be distorted to change the open end t'o elliptic shape capable of permitting removal of the closure through the greater diameter of the elliptic opening thus produced.

2. A lamp comprising aresillent metal casing having an open end whose edge denes an opening of constricted dimensions relatively to the internal dimensions of the casing immediately adjacent to the opening, a closure having larger dimensions than the opening and smaller dimensions than said internal dimensions of the casing, and located within the casing immediately adjacent to the casing opening, a shoulder on the closure spaced from the edge thereof and tting the casing opening, and spring means within the casing adjacent the open end retaining the shoulder with the edge of the casing opening occupied by the shoulder, said means being operable to permit movement of the closure inwardly to withdraw its shoulder from the open end, whereby the casing opening may be freed for distortion to a shape permitting passage of thev closure therethrough.

3. A lamp comprising a resilient metal casing having an open end whose edge defines an opening of less diameter thanv that of the casing interior immediately adjacent to the opening, a

closure of larger diameter than the casing opening, of less diameter than the casing interior diameter immediately adjacent to the casing open-` ing, and occupying the casing interior, a forward extension on the closure of less diameter than the closure and spaced from the edge thereof, occupying the casing opening, and having its circular wall in engagement with the edge of the casing opening, a reflector within the casing back of the closure and of a diameter permitting passage of the reflector through the casing opening, and resilient means within the casing adjacent to its open end, engaging the rim of the reflector and causing it to hold the closure with its forward extension occupying the casing opening, said means being operable so that the reector and the closure may be moved to free the closure extension from the opening edge, permitting distortion of the casing opening, passage of the closure through -the distorted opening, and removal of the reflector through the opening.

4. A lamp comprising a resilient metal casing having an open end, the opening of which 4open end is of less diameter than the diameter of the casing interior adjacent to the open end, a. closure within the casing, contacting the inner Wall of the casing surrounding the opening of said open end, and of a diameter intermediate the diameter of the opening of the open end and the diameter of the casing interior adjacent to the open end, a shoulder on the closure fitting the opening of the open end and spaced from the edge thereof, interengaging means between the closure and casing for preventing rotation of the closure in the opening of the open end, and resilient means normally preventing displacement of the closure 'shoulder from the casing opening and operable to permit closure displacement from the casing opening, whereby the casing may be distorted to change the shape of the opening through which the closure may be removed.

v ROY W. JOHNSON. 

